Oxycodone trafficking creates chaos for drug stores

Prescription painkiller addiction has become a growing problem across the country and right here in the Poconos, according to one local independent pharmacist.

ANDREW SCOTT

Prescription painkiller addiction has become a growing problem across the country and right here in the Poconos, according to one local independent pharmacist.

Among the more addictive painkillers is oxycodone, which two major drug rings were busted this past week for illegally trafficking in the Poconos, according to federal and state authorities.

The 15-month multi-agency investigation lead to about 50 arrests and the break up of three rings that were raking in millions of dollars in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The leaders of the two Pennsylvania rings had a New York doctor's office manager write and supply the oxycodone prescriptions, and then had ring members fill the prescriptions at northeastern Pennsylvania pharmacies. The ring members used insurance or medical assistance cards to buy the prescriptions and then sold the pills in the black market.

While the ring members have not been identified as addicts, oxycodone is popular because it's highly addictive and worth much on the streets, said one Stroudsburg pharmacist, the only member of the local pharmaceutical community available for comment Friday and who chose to remain anonymous due to past robberies at his business.

"People have come in and asked us to fill prescriptions they have at other pharmacies, claiming those other pharmacies have run out," he said.

"For example, they'll ask us to fill one scrip with 200 oxycodone pills, when we have instructions to fill only 20 pills, or they'll come in with three or four different prescriptions and ask us to fill smaller amounts.

"That's usually a warning sign that something's off, that this person might be an addict," he said. "Sometimes, it's more obvious by how they act or dress. You shouldn't need so much oxycodone for lower back pain."

Many addicts are children or young adults who've experimented with their parents' or grandparents' painkillers and become hooked, said spokesman John Norton of the National Community Pharmacists Association.

These addicts then go "doctor-shopping" or visit a series of pharmacies in efforts to get prescriptions filled to feed their habits.

"This makes it harder for people with genuine pain who aren't addicts," Norton said.

Many pharmacies now electronically monitor customers' prescription and health records in efforts to keep better track of whether customers have legitimate pain issues and where they've previously had prescriptions filled.

"After a period of time in the pharmaceutical practice, you get better at spotting questionable customer behavior," Norton said. "We work with and support law enforcement in strengthening penalties against violators. Some states, like Florida and Ohio, have laws making it harder for people to get their hands on these drugs."

The Stroudsburg pharmacist said he has doctors call him ahead of time to verify prescriptions for legitimate patients. But apparently, not even this is completely foolproof.

The New York doctor's office manager recently arrested as part of the illegal oxycodone operation called pharmacies to verify prescriptions for people posing as legitimate patients.

"It's a challenging, chaotic world for pharmacists out there," Norton said. "As long as painkiller addiction exists, we can do only so much to guard against the illegal activities it spawns."